[Callers] Gypsies

Ron Blechner via Callers callers at lists.sharedweight.net
Sun Oct 25 17:35:07 PDT 2015


Eddie is also a gender name, thus I would rule that out. Vortex doesn't
exactly come off well on the mic. Swirl sounds way too much like circle
unless you are none ciating very very crisp late, in which case you are
going to get some Pardes sounds hissing on the mic.

Thus, I don't like any of the three. I suggest spiral instead.
On Oct 25, 2015 3:02 PM, "Amy Wimmer via Callers" <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> I'm not fond of "eddy," "vortex," or "swirl" because they all imply
> twirling, which is not what the gypsy move wants. That defeats the purpose,
> in my mind. "Facing" seems most appropriate, useful and descriptive of the
> terms suggested.
>
> -Amy
>
> On Oct 25, 2015, at 11:53 AM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>
> I don't like the idea that a term we use might be offensive to someone.  I
> think part of its tenacity is that it can be used for a whole family of
> similar eye locking moves.  The term walk around will not serve in what is
> now called a gypsy star, or in a traveling gypsy, gypsy chase, or gypsy
> hey, which all have eye contact as a common element.
> In discussing with dancers, I heard objection to the terms catching eyes,
> grabbing by the eyes etc.  made them think of hands in eyes.  Not that they
> didn't understand, but it was distasteful to them.
> Perhaps we could agree to a term like 'facing' to link the diverse moves
> together.  It is used in squares in cases where instead of the usual facing
> someone's back, you are face to face (as in a facing diamond).  This
> un-knots all the alternative moves (facing star, facing hey, travel
> facing).
> I don't actually think of a plain gypsy as involving a shoulder, but
> rather a side of my face.  Go R face round your N, ladies L face round each
> other?  Facing indicates where we should look more or less without
> demanding eye contact.  I like eye contact, but some are profoundly
> uncomfortable with it.  I dislike when they choose to twirl their bodies
> rather than at least look in my general direction.  Facing helps with that.
> I'm sure we will come up with something better, but I'd like a solution
> that acknowledges this family of moves.
>
> I'm not fond of eddy, for its aural similarity to the name Eddie.  Spiral,
> vortex etc, while all sort of indicative of rotation, also indicate to me
> the funnel effect, which is not the only way we use the move.  Many gypsies
> merely move us smoothly on to another dancer.
> One final thought, offered mostly for grins.  I have occasionally thought
> of a gypsy as two people walking round a maypole.  We could say R maypole
> round your N, Ladies L maypole in the center, go one and a half to your P,
> R maypole and swing your partner. :D
>
> Andrea
>
> Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask
>
> On Oct 25, 2015, at 12:56 PM, Joy Greenwolfe via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> I once had someone explain the gypsy as not trusting someone enough to
> take their eyes off of them (!), so I agree that the underlying meaning can
> be problematic, to say the least. Other moves have historical meanings too,
> but Gypsy as a term is more pejorative than, say, Allemande, which
> references traditional German folk dance hand holds.
>
> I like Michael's suggestion for *"eyes." *When teaching, it could be
> described as "walk around holding eyes," which is similar to how I already
> describe it (holding eyes instead of hands). Then during the dance, the
> call could be shortened to "eyes" or "hold eyes." Something like "Ladies
> hold eyes" seems to roll off the tongue with a good rhythm.  Or maybe
> "Ladies by the eyes?"
>
> Melting could still be melting. Not sure how I'd fix my gypsy chase move,
> though.
>
> There is also the issue of avoiding similar directions that would confuse
> the dancers, such as in a Mad Robin where you are encouraged to hold eyes
> with the person across from you, but not actually rotate around them. Maybe
> we need an alternate descriptive/evocative term, like the way a Mad Robin
> is sometimes called Sliding Doors.
>
> A single orbit? Eyes single? Star single? Hands off?
>
> I'm also curious about thoughts about to what degree we might explain the
> change to dancers. From most of the dancers' perspective, it may be "if it
> ain't broke, don't change it." We might get push-back from dancers
> exasperated with what seems to them like an arbitrary term change. Maybe if
> the term is more descriptive, they won't notice as much. "Holding Eyes"
> works for me.
>
> Just some thoughts.
>
> Joy Greenwolfe
> Durham, NC
>
>
>
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